Diabetes Prevention: Tips and Resources
November is American Diabetes Awareness Month. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one in 10 Americans have prediabetes and about 90% have Type 2 diabetes. The good news is that most cases of Type 2 diabetes are preventable. Healthy lifestyle changes can help you avoid, control or even reverse the disease.
Maintain a Healthy Weight, Carb-Smart Diet and Active Lifestyle
Excess weight is the primary cause of Type 2 diabetes. If you’re overweight, losing just 7-10% of your current weight can cut your risk in half. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent other health problems, including heart disease and certain types of cancer. A healthy diet that includes complex carbohydrates can help you lose weight and also reduces the risk of diabetes by helping your body maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Inactivity also promotes Type 2 diabetes, so regular exercise is essential. You don’t have to spend hours sweating in the gym. Walking briskly for half an hour every day can reduce your risk by up to 30%.
Be sure to check out the following resources available for 世界杯官方app faculty and staff.
- 世界杯官方app Walking Trails – 世界杯官方app offers 10 walking trails on the Main and Downtown campuses that make it easy for you to add fitness into your schedule.
- Deer Oaks EAP Services – Log in using “utsa” as both the username and password. On the homepage, use the Search feature to look up resources on nutrition and diabetes.
Additionally, the following resources are available at no cost to UT SELECT BCBS members.
- Omada – Offers a digital lifestyle change program that helps you lose weight and reduce the risks of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
- Livongo – Offers a simplified approach to managing hypertension or diabetes.
Reduce or Eliminate Tobacco Usage
The combination of diabetes and smoking can cause serious damage to your blood vessels, eyes and kidneys, and puts you at higher risk for an earlier death due to stroke, kidney failure and/or heart attack. Smoking raises your risk of having Type 2 diabetes by increasing the accumulation of "bad" fat around your belly and increasing inflammation all over your body.
Quitting smoking isn’t easy. Faculty and staff can explore the resources below to help them get started on a healthy, tobacco-free journey.
- Deer Oaks EAP Services – Log in using “utsa” as both the username and password. On the homepage, use the Search feature to look up resources on quitting smoking.
- Tobacco, Smoke and Vape-Free Campus – Learn more about 世界杯官方app’s tobacco- and vape-free campus policy and explore helpful resources.
Additionally, the following resources are available at no cost to UT SELECT BCBS members.
- UT Health Tobacco Cessation Program – Supports you in your decision to quit smoking.
- UT System Tobacco Cessation Resources – Covers a variety of options to help you succeed.
Other Resources
Diabetes and Nutrition Resources
- Learn Your Risk (American Diabetes Association)
- Find Your Local Office (American Diabetes Association)
- Diabetes Management (Mayo Clinic)
- YMCA San Antonio Diabetes Prevention Program
- HEB Nutrition Services
Tobacco Cessation Resources
- Empowered to Quit (American Cancer Society)
- Great American Smoke Out (American Cancer Society)
- Quitxt ( UT Health SA Tobacco Cessation Program)
For questions, contact 世界杯官方app Wellness.
